Welding in the blood

Welding in the blood. It typifies family company CBL Welding, which today can call itself the address of choice for everything to do with welding. The range is built around three strong brands, Migatronic, Hyundai and 3M, to offer welders everything they need to work efficiently and safely. CBL Welding adds its signature service: always knowledgeable advice, competitive delivery times and excellent after-sales service.

The C in CBL stands for Coussens. "A family business where welding really is in the blood," opens CEO Koen Coussens. While the company originally focused on welding supplies such as electrodes and welding wire, today it is the reference in Meulebeke for everything a welder needs. "A first important milestone in this development came in '98 when we became an official dealer for Migatronic and from now on could also offer welding equipment." There was a clear strategy behind this even then. "What we do, we want to do well. By choosing only one brand of welding equipment, we can master that technology to perfection. After all, to really help customers, you have to be able to provide service. We pride ourselves on that here with technically experienced staff and quite a few spare parts in stock."

Strong, reliable brands

The two other strong brands that have since joined CBL Welding's portfolio are Hyundai (welding wire) and 3M (welding helmets and abrasives). The common thread in the choices made by CBL Welding is quality that the welder can take further. Coussens: "We resolutely choose A-brands that deliver extremely reliable products that the customer can continue to work with. What good is a few percent cheaper if the work keeps stalling? Moreover, they are brands that are ahead of the curve. The scarcity of technical personnel, for example, makes it increasingly difficult to find welders. Migatronic has kept up with all the developments in accessible automation so that we can offer our customers solutions that work well. The CoWelder, for example, is ideal for efficient welding of small series and quick turnarounds. This is also why our employees are so valuable. Welding is a complex process that requires knowledge and skill. You have to be able to offer that support to your customers. He needs to be able to sleep on both his ears while we make sure everything gets done."

Large stock

With this strong trio, Migatronic, Hyundai and 3M, in the portfolio, sales have been going crescendo since 2017. The result of mainly word-of-mouth advertising that did its job. Today, small and large companies from all over the country knock on Meulebeke's door. Even the corona pandemic and the subsequent shortage of materials couldn't change that. Why? "Because we are actually swimming radically against the current," Coussens knows. "Most companies try to reduce their inventory as much as possible, we just make it our calling card. There are about 150 tons of welding wire here. We also keep all Migatronic machines and 3M discs in stock. Because we always want to help our customers out as quickly as possible. It has to be on their shelves, so to speak, before they realize they need it. A strategy that is certainly paying off now with the increasing delivery times in the market." Coussens also has every confidence in the future: "That is why our recurring vision is: 'welding is in our veins'."

One address, one point of contact.